The New Queen of the Vic
by HappyHollyWolly
Summary: Sophia Branning hasn't seen her father for almost 9 years. Now, she arrives in the square after buying the burned down Queen Vic with her boyfriend Ryan. Can Sophia reconnect with her father now that they are living across the street from each other? And can she get to know the family she never knew she had, along with a newly discovered step-mother?
1. Character Profile

**Character Profile**

**Name: **Sophia Elizabeth Sullivan Branning, but just goes by Sophia Branning.

**Date of Birth: **17th April 1992.

**Occupation: **Student (Former), Businesswoman (2010-), Pub Landlady (2010-), Barmaid (2010-).

**Appearance:** Blonde Hair and grey/blue eyes.

**Family: **Branning, Sullivan

**Spouse: **Ryan Smith (Boyfriend)

**Father: **Jack Branning

**Mother: **Katherine Sullivan

**Step-Mother: **Selina Branning (1997-2007), Ronnie Mitchell (2010-)

**Step-Father:** Nick Ramsey (1993-1994), James Fletcher (1995-1997), Harry Bryce (1999-2004), Kieran Jenkins (2005), Patrick Kingston (2006-2007), James Rutherford (2008-2010)

**Grandfather: **Jim Branning, Andrew Sullivan

**Grandmother: **Reenie Branning, Julia Sullivan

**Uncles: **Derek Branning, Max Branning, William Sullivan

**Aunts: **Suzy Branning, April Branning, Carol Jackson, Amelia Sullivan

**Half-Brothers:** Richard Mitchell (almost 2 months),Liam Fletcher (14), Daniel Bryce (10)

**Half-Sisters: **Penny Branning (12), Amy Mitchell (almost 2), Hannah Bryce (7), Jenny Rutherford (1)

**Cousins: **Bianca Jackson, Robbie Jackson, Sonia Fowler, Bradley Branning, Billie Jackson, Lauren Branning, Abi Branning, Oscar Branning.

_Back Story_

Sophia was born in April 1992 to 20 year old Jack Branning and 18 year old Katherine Sullivan. Her parents were only going out at the time and shortly after her birth, they broke up. Sophia's maternal grandparents were extremely wealthy and supported Katherine, giving her money for her and Sophia up until 1993, when Katherine married Nick Ramsey, a wealthy businessman and friend of the Sullivan family. The marriage ended in 1994, with Katherine remarrying the following year to James Fletcher, another wealthy man. After a huge court battle over money and their son Liam, born June 1996, the marriage ended in 1997, and yet again, Katherine remarried. This time to American Stock Broker Harry Bryce. The marriage lasted for five years, and Sophia had grown accustomed to Harry, Seeing him as a father figure to her. They even went on to have two children, a boy, Daniel Bryce, born in January 2000, and a girl, Hannah Bryce, born September 2003. But, over this time, Katherine had many affairs, and Harry and Katherine divorced in 2004. She married Kieran Jenkins then in 2005 and divorced two months later. The following year, Katherine moved on to husband number five by marrying Patrick Kingston, but that marriage, like all her others didn't last and they were divorced by 2007. In 2008, Katherine married James Rutherford, when Sophia was 16, and they had Jenny Rutherford in August 2009. The pair divorced a few months ago in mid-2010.

Due to her father being absent for a majority of her life and her mothers many failed marriages and relationships, Sophia had built a resentment against the entire male population. She went out with a lot of different boys. Boys who treated her badly. And when a good 'un finally came around she pushed him away, thinking that was that guys would do. They leave, like her dad, her step-dad's and her mum's boyfriends. It wasn't until she met Ryan Smith in 2008 that she really met her match. No matter how much she pushed him away, he kept coming back, and that's when she realized that there was nothing wrong with men in particular, only the ones her mother married and went out with. Sophia moved out of her home in early 2010, right before her 18th birthday and moved into a fancy flat with Ryan. Her grandparents Andrew and Julia adored Sophia, and when they died in 2006 and 2009, they left their entire fortune to her. Not to their eldest son William, or daughters Amelia or Katherine. But to their beloved granddaughter, who wasn't as badly corrupted by money as their children had.

Sophia left school in 2010 after getting 5 A-Levels in Business, French, History, Politics and English Literature. At the age of 18, Sophia Branning had a tonne of money, brilliant results after leaving school and an entire future ahead of her. But instead of going to Oxford University in September, like her mother always wanted her to do, She invested the money she had inherited into something more useful. Something she could make money out of. Instead of going big and investing in a major company, she decided to start small and work her way up. That was when she came across an Ad for a pub for sale in a small area of East London. She checked it out and saw it was completely gutted by a fire a few weeks before, Sophia still saw the potential the place had. It was the only pub in the area, giving it very little competition. She bought it, there and then. When she talked to someone who was lurking about outside, the learned some of the history of the place. One thing she knew she couldn't change was the name. The locals knew it was _The Queen Victoria_, and she wanted to keep that little bit there, even though she had redecorated the interior. The local also told her about the bus of Queen Victoria which stood on the bar and Sophia decided to incorporate that into her design. She hired an interior designer and told her what she wanted. The people got down to business and the place was done in two weeks. Furniture, Liquor Licence, everything. She was ready to open the door. _  
_

Soon, her and Ryan were going to move into the flat that stood above the pub, which had also been decorated to her taste. They had everything packed and were ready to move in. When she told her mother about her business investment, Katherine flipped. Telling her not to move there and it would be a terrible decision. Sophia, interested why she mother didn't want her going there, investigated. It turned out, her father, whom she hadn't seen since her tenth birthday, was living there with his new pregnant wife, and some of his family. Although she was hesitant at first to go, she decided that she might want to get to know her dad now. She's coming on nineteen and in a few years she'll be getting married and having children, hopefully, so she wants a good relationship with her dad. But, even if he's happy to see her, Sophia knows she'll be angry at him. She had only seen him no more than three times a year until she was ten and then there was nothing. It was like *poof*, and he was gone. Not a word since.

Sophia was excited to be moving, with Katherine dropping little hints as to why she should stay and go to Oxford. No. Sophia and Ryan were going there and there was nothing that could stop them.


	2. Chapter One

**Summary: **_Sophia Branning hasn't seen her father for almost 9 years. Now, she arrives in the square after buying the burned down Queen Vic with her boyfriend Ryan. Can Sophia reconnect with her father now that they are living across the street from each other? And can she get to know the family she never knew she had, along with a newly discovered step-mother?_

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Eastenders or any Publicly Known musician, movies etc that may be mentioned. The only things I own are Sophia Branning and Ryan Smith. _

* * *

**Chapter One**

"Okay, where are we?" A hesitant, and blindfolded, Sophia asked as her boyfriend, Ryan, helped her out of the car. It was parked in front of a large building completely covered in a large black sheet kind of thing "Ryan, I swear to God, if you don't tell me-"

"Just a few moments, babe" Ryan said placing her in the middle of the street. So when he took the blindfold off and the sheet was dropped, you could see the whole building before them. Crowds were beginning to gather as they saw their beloved pub was nearing completion and about to be reopened. Once he had her in position he let go of her shoulders

"Ryan?" She asked, not feeling his hold on her anymore.

"You ready?" He asked her from behind, getting a nod in reply from Sophia "Okay, Sophia. Welcome to the New Queen Victoria Pub" He whipped off the blindfold and as her eyes adjusted to the light again, the sheet was dropped. She eyes widened and she beamed seeing where her money had gone. Happily, she turned around and wrapped her arms around her boyfriend of two years, before kissing him. The crowd around clapped seeing the pub pretty much finished.

"You knew this was finished" Sophia scolded, hitting him in the arm "The contractors told me it wouldn't be ready for another month"

"I wanted to surprise you and Ow" Ryan said rubbing his arm, before reaching into his pocket and taking out a set of keys "Wanna go inside?" Holding her hands up to her mouth and grinning like an idiot, Sophia nodded and accepted the keys from her boyfriend. She happily went over and opened the door. Sophia gasped when she saw the whole inside had been done up exactly how she wanted it. Going over and standing behind the bar, Sophia saw her boyfriend come through the door. She smiled and hoped up onto the counter, spinning around to meet Ryan at the other end. He put his hands on her thighs and leaning the front of his body against the bar "So, what do you think?"

"I love you so much" Sophia said putting her head down a couple of inches to peck him on the lips "And I love this. It's amazing. Exactly how I pictured it. I can't wait to move in"

"Speaking of that. I have another surprise for you" Ryan said smirking.

"What?" Sophia asked hesitantly.

"Kieran and Danny are going to be here in half an hour with the haul van" Ryan said "_and _they're going to help us out tonight with the re-opening"

"No" Sophia beamed in disbelief. She loved when Ryan surprised her like this. He always found something to do to surprise her at least once a week. Sometimes it could be a fancy dinner in a restaurant, or a lovely gift or a home cooked romantic meal. Just one of the reasons she loves him so much.

"Yes" Ryan said "All the furniture is moved in upstairs and all, it's just our stuff that needs to come now"

"Did I tell you I love you?" Sophia asked, draping her arms over his shoulders.

"Once or twice" Ryan said and Sophia bent down again and planted a long kiss on his lips.

"How about we _break in_ the bedroom?" Sophia suggested twirling herself around to behind the bar again, and, somewhat seductively, walked through the doorway. Ryan wasn't too long following her up the stairs.

* * *

After some time (upstairs), Sophia came out onto the street, heels clicking on the pavement as she inspected when whole building. The looked up smiling. It was all hers. Well, ownership wise, it was all hers. But, her and Ryan were going to run it. It was their home and business now. Then it hit her, if they were opening tonight, nobody knows about it. She saw the market just down the street was pretty busy right now and saw the perfect opportunity. I smiled and made her way down into the middle of the market.

"Alright everyone, listen up" Sophia called loudly for everyone to hear, and standing up on top of one of the chairs one of the stall owners had placed in front of their.

"Oi" The woman said. Her hair was clipped back out of her face and there was an older, and very much more pregnant, woman beside her with a bottle of water in her hand.

"I'll be two seconds" Sophia said before raising up her voice again "The official re-opening of the Queen Victoria is on tonight, people. Tell all friends and family. First drink is on the house"

Stepping off the chair, which proved difficult in her heeled boots. But once she was down, safely on the ground, she was met by the heavily pregnant woman with cropped black hair.

"Who do you think you are, standing up there all high and mighty?" She asked, one hand on her huge stomach.

"The new owner of the pub, love" Sophia said standing with her hands in her back pockets.

"The Vic?" She asked looking at the building on the corner "You'll run it further into the ground than it already is. What are you? Like 16?"

"18 and I inherited the business savvy gene, as well as a couple million pounds from my incredibly rich grandfather" Sophia said smiling "Even got an A-Level to prove it"

"Really?" The short woman asked her and Sophia nodded "Bet you can't keep it running a year" Sophia laughed looking away from the woman in front of her "Think it's funny? Put your money where your mouth is. We'll see how funny it is then"

"Oh, I can" Sophia said she putting her hand on her chest. Sophia looked over the petite woman's barely there clothes. She must think she's like 20 or something wearing that, when she could be double the age "But, I'm guessing you can't" The woman's face turned sour and she squirted half the bottle of water over the pretty 18 year old.

"Kat" The younger woman on the stall exclaimed. The older woman, who's name Sophia knew now as Kat, stopped. Sophia glared at the woman, her mouth in an 'O' shape.

"What the hell?" Sophia said stomping towards the laughing pregnant woman and her cousin.

"Branning!" They heard someone call out. Sophia looked behind her and saw a van rolling down the middle of the market. Her face relaxed "You look a little wet"

"You think" Sophia said as the van stopped in front of the stall. Sophia gave a dirty look to the cropped haired cow in front of her and her cousin who was looking at her suspiciously "Pull up over there, I'll help you with the boxes"

"So you're really moving in then?" Kat questioned with a sour look on her face

"Love it or leave it, love" Sophia said as she turned on her heels and walked away from the stall "Hey boys"

"Soph's, it been a while" Danny said getting out of the van and wrapping his arms around me. Kieran got out of the passenger side and made his way around the front of the van.

"Kieran" Sophia exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her, after Danny let go, and lifted her off the ground.

"Hey, boys. Hand off the girlfriend" Ryan joked coming out of the pub.

"Ry, when were you going to tell us you were moving into a boozer?" Danny asked walking towards one of his best mates. Kieran being the other.

"Same time I was telling you that you were moving in" Ryan said smiling. Ryan and Sophia discussed this. They'd asked Ryan, Kieran and Sophie's best mate Carly, who just happened to be going out with Kieran, to move in with them and work downstairs in the bar as their way of paying the rent. Of course, they'd be getting paid, but they'd be taking the rent straight out of their wages.

"I love you" Kieran said kissing Sophia's cheek before going over and doing the same to Ryan. He immediately moved away and wiped his cheek.

"Dude, you have a girlfriend" Sophia joked going over and wrapping her arms around her boyfriends waist.

"What Carly doesn't know won't hurt her" Kieran replied sticking his hands in his pockets.

"Right we gonna unpack or what" Ryan said clapping his hands together and walking around to the back of the van.

"When do we move in exactly?" Danny asked.

"Tomorrow" Ryan said as the sliding door of the van flew upwards.

"With what?" Danny asked, as Ryan plopped a box into his hands.

"These empty boxes once _you've_ unpacked _our _things" Ryan said smirking. Sophia giggled at Ryan's attempt to make Danny and Kieran their slaves.

"Oh, okay" Danny said shrugging and readjusting the box in his arm "I can't wait to unpack Soph's lacy lingerie collection" Sophia gasped and pushing is shoulder playfully. Danny then went through the door and into the building, laughing.

* * *

The pub filled up quickly and Sophia, Ryan, Danny and Kieran found themselves rushed off their feet with the amount of people still coming in. Everyone was taking their places in the pub and things were thankfully quieting down a bit. Sophia found it the best time to have the whole 'welcome to new queen vic' speech thing.

"Everyone" Sophia said going around and standing in the most central area she could find that was behind the bar. But, her voice wasn't loud enough to get everyone's attention. Ryan was standing beside her with a bottle of champagne in his hand. Danny stuck his two pinky fingers into his mouth a blew, making a loud whistling sound, grabbing everyone's attention "Thanks, Danny-boy. Anyway, thank you wall for coming out tonight. I knew it was kind of short notice, but to have this turn out, it is really great"

In the middle of Sophia's speech Ronnie Branning, along with her husband Jack on her heels, came through the door of the pub, a little later than everyone else. Jack's eyes landing directly on the girl behind the bar, surrounded by three guys. He kept thinking he knew her from somewhere, before it hit him and his eyes grew wide.

"I won't bore you with a long speech" Sophia said looking around at everyone else, making her away towards Jack's area of the pub "But, here is to the New Queen Victor- Dad"

Ryan popped the champagne as the whole pub grew silent, Jack and Sophia locking eyes.


End file.
